Our Executive Mentors

Jennifer Uchida

Jen Uchida graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2005 with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in aerospace engineering sciences. Following graduation, she accepted a position with the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) as a civilian flight test engineer for the Marine Corps in Patuxent River, MD. There she supported the experimental flight testing of the V-22 Osprey, deploying several new and lifesaving capabilities to the fleet and logging over 100 flight hours of crew time.

Uchida is a graduate of the US Naval Test Pilot School, Class 140. In 2012, she applied to NASA’s astronaut program and was one of the top 50 candidates for selection in 2013.

Following her time with NAVAIR, she spent a winter in Big Sky, MT as a ski instructor before heading to Gulfstream Aerospace to help lead the experimental test efforts for FAA type certification on the new G500 and G600 programs. Uchida moved to Seattle in 2020 to be the Manager of Test and Evaluation at AeroTEC where she directed the work of Flight Test Engineers, Test Pilots, Flight Test Instrumentation Engineers and Software Engineers on various customer projects.

Uchida is now the Senior Test Program Manager for Product Development at Boeing Test and Evaluation. She is responsible for leading the planning and execution for all BCA Product Development test work statements for Lab and Flight Test. 

Uchida is the founding president of the Coastal Empire chapter of the Society of Flight Test Engineers. She has also served as Vice President on its international board and in 2022 she was elected President. In addition to the volunteer work she does for SFTE, Uchida is also an executive mentor for the Brooke Owens Fellowship and serves on the External Advisory Board for CU Boulder's Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences.